Even though the growth is impressive, the total number of passengers is still relatively small considering the size of Quebec City but it is important to remember that historically, Montreal's proximity has always hindered the airport's growth since people didn't mind driving to Montreal's airport because airline companies only operated there. For the same reason, tourists also used to drive between the two cities instead of taking the plane. As a consequence, ticket prices were much higher in the provincial capital, which only exacerbated this situation. However, since the airport reached a critical size in the last few years, the number of airline companies present at Quebec City airport has increased and a new reality is now emerging: lower ticket costs due to increased competition and more national and international direct flights. For example, Continental Airlines, United Airlines, US Airways and Delta Airlines are now all offering flights to multiple US destinations. Growth in domestic passenger traffic is still lagging a bit though.